No one enjoys change. It is much easier for a body to remain at rest than to rise up and take action. It would have been much easier for me to remain silent at work and do my job launching new products. But evil flourishes when good people do nothing. If I didn’t stand up for my neighbors’ jobs, who would stand up for me?

Don’t rock the boat, things could be worse is a philosophy which has led America down a slippery slope to dysfunctional governance. The prolonged lack of Democratic leadership is disappointing and has led to the election of bomb-throwers who call for a national divorce and succession of their states. These are out and out expressions that violate the oath of office. It’s fine to resign an office to fully utilize one’s free speech, but the duty of elected officials has requirements under the Constitution.

I don’t expect most people to take the pledge of allegiance as seriously as I did. Clearly my childhood experience is outside the norm, and as a tall white American I received privileges that I can’t even recognize. But I have always embraced change and taking the road less traveled. I originally planned to study journalism and marketing, but switched to fine art because I have difficulty deferring to others. At best I can agree upon a common goal, and move in the same direction as my manager desires.

Status quo fundamentalists prefer the system that is working fine for them until the moment it isn’t. They believe that change is impossible until it is inevitable. It’s part of the reason why it’s difficult for the mainstream media to mention my campaign. The preference is for the expected news, which is recycled and repeated over and over. There is nothing new under the sun. Anything that is unique needs to become accepted and part of history before it can be considered newsworthy.

The Think Pink campaign for breast cancer awareness didn’t become newsworthy when it was a mother hand making ribbons to support breast cancer research. Only when Self magazine and Estée Lauder used it for promotions did America care. The status quo prefers to co-opt the news before the story is published.

The status quo isn’t cutting it anymore. The establishment candidates have the opportunity to fight alongside with me and show their support for democracy by wearing a Democracy Awareness ribbon. Their lack of leadership in pushing for change is what makes me run for Senate. It would be easier for me to hope things don’t get worse, but given the opportunity it would be immoral to choose to refuse the call to action. I hope you will rise up with me and support change and a Constitutional amendment once and for all. That includes people named Katie, Barbara, Lexi, Adam, and even Eric. We humans need to stick together and fight for our democratic rights. There is no right wing or left wing on human beings and we need to coexist in our nation.